Cargo Business Newswire

Tuesday, July 15, 2014

Federal court: Motor carriers must observe Calif. labor laws on meal/rest breaks for drivers

A federal appeals court ruled last week that motor carriers are not exempt from California state law requiring mandatory paid breaks for workers, overturning a ruling made by a lower court that had exempted container trucking companies.

Three drivers for Penske Logistics brought the class-action suit against the carrier in 2008, and the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals' decision this week could be the final ruling, unless the U.S. Supreme Court decides to hear the case.

California law requires employers to give employees a paid 30-minute meal break for every five hours on the clock and paid 10-minute breaks for every four hours on the clock.

Plaintiffs Mickey Lee Dilts, Ray Rios and Donny Dushaj claimed Penske failed to ensure drivers could take their breaks and said the company created an "environment that discourages employees from taking their meal and rest breaks," according to court documents.

Penske had argued given the structure of driving jobs, it was exempt under the Federal Aviation Administration Authorization Act of 1994, which it said preempts state law.
The Ninth District's three-judge panel disagreed, said that California's break laws are "not 'related to' defendant's prices, routes or services, and therefore they were not preempted by" FAAAA.

For more of the Commercial Carrier Journal story: ccjdigital.com

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